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Welcome to the Cooking with Wine Blog! We are Angela and Mark, and food is our passion. We want to share this passion with you! Here we will share our favorite recipes, places to eat, cookbooks, markets, tips and tricks, and so much more! So, pop that cork and dive right in!

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Recipes

with Lavender Rose Elderflower Glaze

Ok, y’all! This cake was a crazy experiment that turned out to be AMAZING! I made it to represent some of my favorite cocktails, which typically include gin, lemon and St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Additionally, I had a bunch of meyer lemons that I had recently purchased and needed to use up. So, of course, I turned to the almighty internet for inspiration.

You know what you get when you Google “Elderflower cake?” Well, apparently you get several copy-cat recipes of the more recent royal wedding cake. Yep, I had no idea that flavor combo was even trending. Seems like I need to update myself on the royals….

The wedding cake is to be served at the Reception. It was designed by Claire Ptak and features elderflower syrup made at The Queen’s residence in Sandringham from the estate’s own elderflower trees, as well as a light sponge cake uniquely formulated for the couple. #royalweddingpic.twitter.com/kt5lE4tEn9

Add some spice to your summer with this tequila cocktail!

Summer is here and it’s time to bust out all those summer recipes, including the most refreshing and delicious cocktails! Here is a cocktail we recently created and have been obsessed with!

This is a Sweet and Spicy Tequila Cocktail. And we are in love with these flavors! This is a mix of tequila, Chambord, lime juice and pineapple juice with muddled jalapeños to give it that kick!

Do you like a little heat in your cocktails?

Living in Texas, I have learned to appreciate heat in pretty much every recipe – cocktails are no different! So if you are into spicy foods, you will LOVE this adaptation.

Not spicy enough for you??

I’m fine with the the heat from jalapeños, but Mark needs more heat ALWAYS. If you are like Mark, then here is how you can make it even spicier! ENTER SERRANO PEPPERS. Now we are talking heat! Just replace muddled jalapeños with serrano peppers to take this up a notch on the heat scale.

What should I add to the rim of the glass?

If you are not a cocktail connoisseur, and you don’t make drinks often, then you may forget that one of the best things you can do for cocktails is line the rim of the glass with a little something special. Because this is a SWEET and SPICY drink, you cannot go wrong with the usual suspects: salt or sugar. BUT, if you want to take it up a notch, we recommend Tajin. This spicy chili lime seasoning is everything you need for this cocktail! (click on the image below to find it on Amazon)

What kind of alcohol should I use?

For this drink in particular, we prefer tequila. Any tequila will do, so pick your favorite. We really like Milagro, but this drink works with any tequila. Not a tequila lover? Try rum or vodka and let us know how it turns out!

Pro tip: soak your jalapeño slices in lime juice for 15 minutes before using them as a garnish or adding them to your nachos, tacos, or other foods.

Soaking jalapeños in lime juice emphasizes that delicious jalapeño flavor that we all love. You can also use the lime juice in your food and drinks and it will have a beautiful flavor and some heat. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Your guide to get the most perfect sear on scallops!

Why are Pan-Seared Scallops so intimidating???

This is the question I have asked myself about pan seared scallops for years! I’ve seen people cook them, I’ve eaten them sooooooo many times, and then I would try to make them and they would turn out rubbery or lacking that sweet scallop flavor that I love so much! And on the aesthetic side, I could never achieve that beautiful sear that has a light crunch and holds ALLLLLL the flavor.

You may be looking at the photo here and screaming at this point…. JUST TELL US YOUR SECRETS! Patience child, we are getting there! (Or just click the “Skip to Recipe” link above…). Before we get there, let’s talk scallops for a minute.

What should I look for when buying scallops?

The key to an amazing pan seared scallop begins at the grocery store. Don’t just go to any rinky dink store. Make sure those babies are fresh! Here are some FAQs on scallops:

How do I know if my market has fresh scallops?

Simple. Just ask at the fish counter! You should ask when the store received the scallops. Most stores give you an honest answer. If they are more than a couple days old, ask when they are getting their next shipment, and plan another meal for tonight.

Should I buy fresh or frozen scallops?

We are of the opinion that you should always try to find fresh, never frozen scallops. If you can’t find them in the store fresh, frozen will work, but make sure they were flash frozen or individually quick frozen (IQF) and were not treated with a solution that preserves them, aka, “wet” scallops. You can learn more about “wet” vs “dry” scallops here.

What kind ofscallops are the best?

We prefer diver scallops compared to farmed scallops. And we rarely buy the small bay scallops unless we are putting them in some kind of fish stew, or cioppino.

What color should a scallop be?

Most scallops will fall in the milky white to coral pink range. This has no effect on the taste of the scallop, and everything to do with male scallops vs female scallops during the spawning period. If the scallop looks dull and gray, it is likely old, so avoid these.

Should scallops smell “fishy?”

Short answer, no! They should have a slightly sweet, sea-like smell, but not ever fishy. If the smell is pungent and makes you gag, DO NOT EAT THESE.

How to get that perfect sear

Now to the fun part! Let’s get cooking!

First, you will want to rinse the scallops and dry them completely. Do not soak, EVER! Just rinse and dry. If your scallops have a little piece of meat that looks like a small flap on the side, remove it. This in the abductor muscle and will be very tough if you try to cook it and eat it. These will easily pull right off. Your cats will love this piece of the scallop though, so go ahead and make your fur babies happy and share the love!

Next, season the scallops on both flat sides with salt and pepper. Don’t go overboard with the salt. You can always add a little finishing salt at the end if you need more. Remember, salt is a flavor enhancer, so salt should only be used to enhance the flavors you create, not as a flavor itself. Find our favorite finishing salt here or here.

Get out your favorite nonstick skillet (we like these) and turn up the heat! You want this pan to be really hot to properly sear the scallops. From our experience, cast iron gets too hot, and stainless steel may ruin your sear completely if the scallops stick to the pan. So we say stick to nonstick. 🙂 Add a tablespoon of butter and let it melt until it starts to brown. You want just enough butter so the pan isn’t dry.

Here’s the trick for that nice crust: lightly dredge the top and bottom of each scallop in a little flour. Just the smallest amount! And tap off any excess flour. You aren’t trying to bread these babies! You are just trying to get a thin layer to get a little crust. Do not flour the sides, leave them naked.

Place the scallops in the pan on one of the flat sides for 90 seconds. Once they are in the pan, DO NOT MOVE THEM AROUND. Just let them sit there in all their glory! If the scallops you bought are fairly large and thick, go ahead and cover the pan for the first 30 s. After 90 s, gently turn the scallops over using tongs to avoid ruining the sear. Let them cook for another 90 s (up to 2 min max on this side depending on how done you like them). Again, cover the pan for about 30 s if you have thick scallops. After 90 s, they will be a medium rare doneness, but after 2 min, things go downhill really quickly. No one likes an overcooked scallop!

You should serve these immediately, so make sure you prepped all your other side dishes before cooking the scallops. We like to have a couple lemon wedges handy to add a touch of citrus at the table.

If you try this recipe out, please let us know your thoughts! And feel free to tag us on Instagram (@cooking_with_wine) so we can see your cooking skills in action!

You may find this hard to believe but I had Shepherd’s Pie for the first time ever this past year! Now that I’ve had it, I don’t know why I’ve avoided it for so long. Well, I have an idea as to why this happened, but let me give you a bit of background….

Growing up I was a VERY picky eater. I shed many tears over trying new foods or eating the veggies that my parents prepared. I spent numerous hours sitting at the dinner table staring down a plate of peas trying to figure out how to dispose of them without anyone knowing. And I still hate peas to this day. I’m also not a fan of lamb that tastes, you know, lamby…. I’m sure you can see my problem with traditional Shepherd’s pie now, right???

Fast forward to last Fall… Mark and I were flipping through some cookbooks and looking for something comfort food-ish to make for dinner. Then Mark announced with a huge smile on his face, “I got it! Let’s make Shepherd’s Pie!”

I’m sure you can imagine my reaction and lack of reciprocation of his excitement. BUT, he has made me many things before that I didn’t think I would like, and ended up loving (I will write a post on mushrooms one of these days as an example of how he has changed my perspective on certain foods). I said to him, “I’ve never had it, but let’s give it a shot if you think I will like it. Oh, but NO PEAS!”

When Mark knows I either haven’t had something before OR that I’m not a fan of some ingredient, he sees this as a challenge and gets really excited to change my mind. I could see the wheels spinning as he started looking through our pantry and spice cabinet, and dotting things down on a notepad. After a few minutes, he said, “I have a plan, and it will be awesome!” I’ve heard these words many times, and 9 out of 10 times, he is 100% correct. And it was AWESOME! So awesome in fact that we made it a few days later, and then made extra that could be frozen and made at any time!

So, here we are with this ground veal and beef Shepherd’s Pie with edamame beans in place of peas (I still got my way on the peas). He has not been able to break the relationship I have with peas yet, but I know he won’t stop trying!

I hope you give this a try whether you love or hate Shepherd’s Pie, and let us know in the comments what you think!

If you are like us at all, we crave the first chill of Fall, the blankets and hoodies, the crisp air and unpredictable weather (here in Texas anyway), and of course PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN, AND MORE PUMPKIN! Well, let me help you dive right into Fall with this irresistible Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.

So, maybe you are like Mark and me and you are saying, “Bring it on!” Or maybe you are like my sister who says “Ew, no thanks! I’ll pass on the pumpkin. I don’t like pumpkin.” I found that people either love pumpkin or hate pumpkin. But this soup is surprisingly subtle on the pumpkin, and definitely doesn’t have that pumpkin spice pie type of taste that is the quintessential flavoring for almost everything in October (call me basic if you want, but I love those pumpkin spice lattes!). Anyway, this soup is NOT that. It is deep and rustic, warm and slightly spicy, rich and decadent. It is everything I have ever wanted in a pumpkin soup. So, for all of you I-don’t-like-pumpkin people, give it a shot! For all of you pumpkin lovers like Mark and me, make it NOW! Seriously, tonight. Because you will want leftovers for lunch tomorrow, I promise you that!

Growing up my mom would frequently make banana nut bread using the over-ripe bananas that we refused to eat. And soon we learned to avoid eating the last 4 bananas to ensure that mom would make the bread for us! But bread is sometimes a challenge to manage if you don’t have enough people to eat it up, and especially if you need to eat it in the car. Although, we do freeze it and plan to create a banana bread french toast soon… stay tuned! So the muffins were born! So much easier to eat on the go, and they get that yummy edge crust that I LOVE! I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

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Growing up my mom would frequently make banana nut bread using the over-ripe bananas that we refused to eat. And soon we learned to avoid eating the last 4 bananas to ensure that mom would make the bread for us! But bread is sometimes a challenge to manage if you don’t have enough people to…